Scout Picks – Gameweek 7

Earlier this week we revealed the Scout Picks Squad players in the frame for this week’s selection. Ahead of this evening’s kick-off we profile those who made the grade.

To fit our heavyweight attacking picks into the designated 83 million budget, we were forced to turn to a pair of rearguard value options to free up some funds.

Jordan Pickford’s rock bottom price of 4.0 certainly meets our penny-pinching criteria. With the best saves per minutes rate in the Premier League, the 11% owned Sunderland stopper offers strong points potential up against a West Brom side that has scored just twice on the road this term.

Our other frugal selection is Watford’s Jose Holebas (4.5). While he may not have covered himself in glory away to Burnley on Monday, by conceding twice and getting booked, he faces a Bournemouth side this weekend with just one away goal. It is also worth noting that no other defender has registered more shots on target at home than the Greece international.

Two mid price defenders with similar prospects of returns at both ends of the pitch complete our three-man back line.

The first is Liverpool’s 10.1% owned Nathaniel Clyne (5.5), who has created more chances than any other defender this season and travels to a Swansea City side that has conceded seven times in their three previous home games.

The other is Manchester United’s 12.6% owned Antonio Valencia (5.6) who welcomes a Stoke City outfit that has only mustered two goals on the road so far. While overshadowed recently by the versatile Daley Blind (also 5.6), who assisted twice at home against Leicester City last Saturday from a left back berth, Luke Shaw’s possible return casts some doubt on the Dutchman’s availability.

Taking top billing amongst our midfielders is Alexis Sanchez (11.2), arguably the best Fantasy option on current form. His 40 FPL points across his last three Premier League starts make him a prime captaincy candidate ahead of Arsenal’s visit to Burnley. It is little wonder that 222,993 FPL managers have drafted him in this week.

Liverpool remain a devilish puzzle to solve, with goals and assists scattered across their midfield. Luckily not all come with a high price tag and in 13.8% owned Adam Lallana (7.2) they have a value proposition in red-hot form. His 15-point FPL haul at home to Hull City last in Gameweek 6 was his second double-digit score of the season; the trip to Swansea City this weekend offers him a great chance to boost his stock further.

While West Ham’s form may have dipped markedly their 7.3 priced midfielder Michail Antonio continues to be a threat, with five goals already this season. At home to a Middlesbrough side which has conceded nine times, the 11.8% owned winger looks to have the perfect opportunity to rekindle his goal scoring form and bring some joy back to the London Stadium faithful.

Romelu Lukaku (9.3)’s on-going toe complaints and the need to stretch our funds has prompted us to select his Everton team-mate Yannick Bolasie (6.1) for the visit of his former club Crystal Palace. The 6.1% owned midfielder is joint top amongst Everton players for chances created over the last four Gameweeks.

Another Manchester United player on a final warning in the Scout Picks is Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.5), who has been jettisoned by 176,025 FPL managers this week after drawing a blank in the Red Devils’ Gameweek 6 clash with Leicester City.

A goal in last night’s Europa League tie will have boosted the confidence of the 54% of FPL managers that continue to keep the faith. As will the poor quality opposition this weekend: visitors Stoke City have conceded an average of two goals per game on the road.

Sergio Aguero (13.0) continues to be undroppable on recent form, with a brace last weekend on his return to Premier League action following a three-match suspension. While Spurs present a far tougher opponent than Swansea City, Aguero’s underlying statistics are overwhelmingly strong. The 41% owned Manchester City striker has the best minutes per penalty box attempt rate on show and has notched five goals in four Premier League appearances.

Completing our attacking trio is Watford’s penalty-taking striker Troy Deeney (7.0), who, up to Monday’s defeat at Burnley, had fired goals in successive Premier League outings. Deeney faces a Bournemouth side at home that has failed to keep a clean sheet on the road.

Another mid-price striker to consider is Jermain Defoe (7.2), who scored twice against Crystal Palace last weekend to take his season tally to four and bring him level on FPL points with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The 12.1% owned forward narrowly misses out on a first XI place with his opponents, West Brom, possessing one of the Premier League’s best away defence records, conceding just twice this term.

Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino (8.4) takes a place on the bench, amid concerns that his selfless style of play may be denting his Fantasy prospects. Nevertheless, he remains Liverpool’s most creative player and has every chance of rewarding the 9.6% of FPL managers who own him.

A hefty price tag of 6.5 has consigned Hector Bellerin to the bench this week for Arsenal’s trip to Burnley. With the Claret’s attacking threat expected to be limited against the Gunners, he looks in primed to earn, what are becoming increasingly rare, Premier League clean sheet points. Bellerin has also provided six assists since the start of the 2015/16 campaign – more than any other defender.

The Community Champion

The community member who beats our picks by the biggest margin over the campaign will win a £100 Amazon Voucher and a place in our Contributors and Moderators League for the following season.

The current champion to beat is VSIO_, who had a 32 point margin of victory over us only last weekend.

This week’s champion is Lateriser12 who has opted for a 3-4-3 formation of: Thibaut Courtois; Daley Blind, Chris Smalling David Luiz; Theo Walcott, Dimitri Payet, Sadio Mane, Yannick Bolasie; Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Diego Costa, Charlie Austin.